This invention relates to a moisture reduction assembly and more particularly, to a moisture reduction assembly which is adapted to be operatively placed within a vehicle headlamp assembly and which is further adapted to allow light to be selectively generated in a desired manner while concomitantly reducing moisture within the headlamp assembly.
Bulb assemblies are typically and selectively placed within vehicle headlamps and/or headlamp assemblies and are operatively adapted to generate light in a desired manner. More particularly, each bulb assembly typically includes a bulb which is selectively energized and which, upon such selective energization, emits light. The bulb assembly further includes a bulb shield which is adapted to absorb some of the light which emanates from the energized bulb, effective to substantially prevent the light from directly xe2x80x9cshiningxe2x80x9d into the eyes of an oncoming driver.
While these bulb assemblies effectively generate and emit light, they also generate heat which typically causes the headlamps to be repeatedly heated and cooled (i.e., when the vehicle is parked and the bulb assemblies are deactivated, the headlamps cool), thereby causing undesirable moisture and/or condensation to be drawn into these headlamps or headlamp assemblies. Particularly, this moisture and/or condensation is unsightly and may potentially damage the various electrical components and/or elements which are contained within these headlamps.
To reduce or eliminate this moisture and/or condensation, a commercially available desiccant member or material has been used in some of these headlamps and is somewhat effective to absorb some of the contained moisture. While the desiccant member desirably absorbs some of the contained moisture, its operating life is relatively short and the use of such a desiccant member requires relatively frequent removal and replacement of each of the vehicle""s headlamps.
It is therefore desirable to substantially eliminate and/or reduce the amount of moisture and/or condensation which is present within a headlamp, while concomitantly allowing the contained bulb assembly to generate and emit desired light, and to do so in a manner which does not require frequent service of the vehicle or the headlamp. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a moisture reduction assembly which allows light to be selectively generated and emitted by a headlamp while concomitantly reducing and/or substantially eliminating moisture and/or condensation which is present within the headlamp.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a moisture reduction assembly which is operatively deployed within a headlamp, which selectively generates and emits light, and which produces heat which is used to reduce and/or substantially eliminate moisture and/or condensation within the headlamp.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a moisture reduction assembly is provided. The moisture reduction assembly includes a bulb; and a bulb shield which includes a desiccant drying member which is effective to reduce and/or substantially eliminate moisture within a headlamp.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for reducing moisture within a headlamp is provided. The method includes the step of generating heat; providing a heat activated catalyst; and using the generated heat along with a heat activated catalyst, to convert the moisture into non-condensing gases.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.